AFRICA: Senegalese authorities sentenced 13 people to prison for their attempt to establish a homegrown jihadist cell modelled on Boko Haram.

AMERICAS: Thousands of protesters marched through Peru’s capital demanding anticorruption reforms as the head of the judiciary resigned in protest.

ASIA: Disgraced South Korean president Park Geun-hye was convicted of charges including illegally receiving funds from the country’s spy agency and given eight more years in prison.

EUROPE: Turkish Authorities detained the wife of Abu Omar al-Shishani, a senior Islamic State commander killed in combat two years ago, in a counter-terrorism operation in Istanbul.

MIDDLE EAST: U.S. officials are finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families as Russian-backed government forces close in on the area.

TECHNOLOGY: WhatsApp began testing restrictions on message forwarding in a bid to deter rapid spreading of rumors that led to several lynchings in India.

TOP STORY

United States: Against chorus of skepticism, President Trump invites Vladimir Putin to the White House

Despite still reeling amidst the fallout from a profoundly controversial summit in Helsinki, Trump has seemingly doubled down on his mission to improve ties with Russia.

The White House spokeswoman indicated that Trump had instructed National Security Advisor John Bolton to handle the invitation.

The invitation came as a surprise to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, who was caught completely off guard when asked about it in a live interview, indicating the ongoing disconnect between the Administration and Intelligence Community.

In Russia, Putin commented that “pathetic, worthless people” in the US were standing in the way of improved relations.

Cameroon: Violence between the government and Anglophone separatists has forced more than 180,000 people from their homes since December, Human Rights Watch said. (AP)

Gambia: Banjul condemned former president Yahya Jammeh’s pledge to come back to the West African country in a leaked phone call that went viral on social media. (AFP)

Senegal: Authorities sentenced 13 people to prison for their attempt to establish a homegrown jihadist cell modelled on Boko Haram. (Reuters)

AMERICAS

Brazil: Federal Police announced that they dismantled a group belonging to an international human smuggling organization sending illegal migrants to the United States. (Xinhua)

Nicaragua: President Daniel Ortega claimed to have beaten back a US-backed and Church-supported “conspiracy” to topple his government. (AFP)

Peru: Thousands of protesters marched through the capital demanding anticorruption reforms as the head of the judiciary resigned in protest. (Reuters)

United States: At least 11 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank. (AP)

ASIA

Region: North Korea’s media lashed out at South Korean President Moon Jae-in in apparently growing discontent with the slow-paced advance of inter-Korean relations and economic cooperation. (Yonhap)

Hong Kong: Former Donald Tsang was sent back to jail following the dismissal of an appeal against a conviction for misconduct in public office, but with his sentence reduced from 20 months to 12 months. (Reuters)

India: Police charged a top opposition leader P. Chidambaram with abuse of power in a multi-billion dollar scandal when he was finance minister. (AFP)

South Korea: Disgraced president Park Geun-hye was convicted of charges including illegally receiving funds from the country’s spy agency and given eight more years in prison. (AFP)

EUROPE

Region: British Prime Minister Theresa May was set to call on the EU to strike a new deal to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland and demand Brussels quickly respond to her ‘white paper’ plan. (Reuters)

Armenia: The Russian military apologized to local residents for causing a panic after failing to warn them ahead of conducting war games in their midst. (AP)

Italy: The EU confirmed Italy’s desire to withdraw from the EU’s Operation Sophia mission regarding the disembarkation of migrants saved at sea. (EFE)

Turkey: Authorities detained the wife of Abu Omar al-Shishani, a senior Islamic State commander killed in combat two years ago, in a counter-terrorism operation in Istanbul. (Reuters)

MIDDLE EAST

Region: Yemen’s Shiite rebels at war with a Saudi-led coalition say they have attacked a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh, despite the company’s denial of the attack. (AP)

Syria: U.S. officials are finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families as Russian-backed government forces close in on the area. (AP)

Syria: Buses gathered in Quneitra near the Golan Heights to transfer rebel fighters and civilians to opposition territory further north, under a ceasefire deal with Russia. (AFP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Communication: WhatsApp began testing restrictions on message forwarding in a bid to deter rapid spreading of rumors that led to several lynchings in India. (Reuters)